Surface nanopatterning

A method of producing a surface nanopattern comprising the steps:

• a) obtaining a substrate with a smooth surface;
• b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes a photocatalytically active region and a substrate attachment region;
• c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said photocatalytically active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions;
• d) obtaining a photocatalytic charged nanoparticle;
• e) contacting said photocatalytic charged nanoparticle with said exposed surface at an interface area;
• f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said photocatalytic charged nanoparticle to light thereby altering said photocatalytically active regions and producing a detectable state at said interface area on said exposed surface;
• and
• g) applying a force to said contacted photocatalytically charged nanoparticle to produce movement of said nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.

A method of producing a surface nanopattern comprising the steps:

• a) obtaining a substrate with an atomically smooth surface;
• b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes a photocatalytically active region and a substrate attachment region;
• c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said photocatalytically active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions;
• d) obtaining a photocatalytic charged nanoparticle;
• e) contacting said photocatalytic charged nanoparticle with said exposed surface at an interface area;
• f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said photocatalytic charged nanoparticle to light thereby photocatalytically altering said photocatalytically active regions and producing a detectable state at said interface area on said exposed surface;
• and
• g) applying a user-directed electrophoretic field of variable strength and direction to said contacted photocatalytic charged nanoparticle to produce movement of said photocatalytic contacted nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.

A method of producing a surface nanopattern comprising the steps:

• a) obtaining a substrate with an atomically smooth surface;
• b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes a photocatalytically active region and a substrate attachment region;
• c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said photocatalytically active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions;
• d) obtaining a plurality of photocatalytic charged nanoparticle;
• e) contacting said plurality of photocatalytic charged nanoparticle with said exposed surface at a plurality of interface areas;
• f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said plurality of photocatalytic charged nanoparticle to light thereby photocatalytically altering said photocatalytically active regions and producing a detectable state for each said photocatalytically charged nanoparticle at said interface area on said exposed surface;
• and
• g) applying a user-directed electrophoretic field of variable strength and direction to said contacted plurality of photocatalytic charged nanoparticle to produce movement for each of said photocatalytic contacted nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending each said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce a plurality of nanopatterns on said exposed surface.

A product having a surface with a nanopattern generated by a process comprising the steps:

• a) obtaining a substrate with a smooth surface;
• b) acquiring a self-assembling monolayer precursor, wherein said precursor includes an inducible active region and a substrate attachment region;
• c) mixing a plurality of said self-assembling monolayer precursors with said substrate to produce a self-assembled monolayer having an exposed surface comprising said inducible active regions and anchored to said substrate smooth surface by said substrate attachment regions;
• d) obtaining a path-directable nanoparticle;
• e) contacting said path-directable nanoparticle with said exposed surface at an interface area;
• f) exposing said exposed surface contacted with said path-directable nanoparticle to an inducing event thereby altering said inducible active regions and producing a detectable state at said interface area on said exposed surface;
• and
• g) applying a force to said contacted path-directable nanoparticle to produce movement of said nanoparticle over said exposed surface thereby extending said detectable state interface area into a detectable trace over said exposed surface to produce the nanopatterened surface.